Till the Soil of Your Heart through the Local Church
Devotional Reading: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:5 KJV
One of the most useful gifts God has given us for making our hearts receptive to him is each other. The church is both a beautiful and broken group of people. Beautiful because of the grace of God working in each of us making us more like Jesus. Broken because we have yet to walk in the fullness of what Christ did for us on the cross. Most of us have been wounded by something that happened in a church.
Most of us have felt anger, frustration, or annoyance with a fellow believer. But if we are to walk in the fullness of what God intends for us here on earth, we must continually forgive and ask forgiveness from each other, submit ourselves to a group of Christ followers, and share life with believers in accordance with God’s word.
The Bible is clear that the best place for us to thrive is in community with fellow believers. Romans 12:5 teaches us that we are all “one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25 says, we should not neglect meeting together And Ephesians 4:15-16 teaches us that “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Christ.
We need each other. We’re joined together as the body of Christ made to function as one—both for our edification and the fulfillment of God’s eternal purposes in the world.
In order to make the soil of your heart soft and receptive to God, you must have help from those God has placed around you. We are created to worship with the body of Christ for all eternity, and that includes right now! Don’t wait to live out the promises of God.
The church is not perfect, but it is God’s Bride. His desire is for his people, and he loves to pour out his presence in unique and specific ways when we gather together. There is edification you need that can only take place in the presence of fellow believers. There is blessing that can only be received when you open your heart to the family of God. We all have wounds; we all need grace; we all need each other.
The very person who most annoys you might need you the most. Just as you need what fellow believers around you have to offer you, others need who God has uniquely designed you to be. So find your unique place in the body and serve the community God has placed you in with faithfulness.
Prayer and Confession
Ask God to show you your place in His community. And ask him to help relate with His body well.
Further Reading: Acts 2:42-44, Ephesians 4
